The present invention relates to furniture handles and the like.
There are various known types of handles that are used on furniture. These handles are typically used for assisting in the opening and closing of certain parts of pieces of furniture such as doors to cupboards, or drawers. The handles can be integrally formed with the furniture part or be a separate component that is attached thereto.
It is known to employ various types of decorative features to make handles more pleasing to the eye. For example, handles can be ornamented by being shaped in a particular way and by selecting a particular material to make the handle (e.g. brass, aluminum, or a particular type of wood).
Although the handle must be rigid, there is usually not a significant load-bearing requirement for handles used for furniture. Additionally, unlike handles for luggage, the comfort of the user when operating the handle has not previously been a primary consideration for the design of furniture handles. In this regard, users sometime experience an unpleasant sensation when grasping handles made from some kinds of material, particularly metals which often feel cold to the touch. This unpleasant feel of metal handles, is often noticed by children.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,553 to Festoso et al. illustrates a handle for furniture that has an elongated body with a slot in its front that can removably receive a colored decorator strip. It will be noted however that in the Festoso et al. patent, there is no reference to a particular material, from which the decorator strip is made. Additionally, the decorator strip only provides an ornamental feature.
The inventive handle satisfies the functionality requirement of providing a device with which a piece of furniture such as a door or drawer can be moved. It also provides a visually pleasing device and at the same time, the inventive handle provides for a physical interaction with the handle during use that is pleasing in a tactile manner, particularly to children who have, furniture employed in their immediate surroundings (like their bedrooms).
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a furniture handle comprising: a) frame having a frame wall defining a cavity, said frame having at least one protrusion opening extending from said cavity through said frame wall; b) an insert adapted to be retained within said cavity, said insert having a protrusion extending through said at least one protrusion opening beyond said frame wall.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a kit comprising: a) frame having a frame wall defining a cavity, said frame having at least one protrusion opening extending from said cavity through said frame wall; b) a plurality of inserts, each of said plurality of inserts adapted to be retained within said cavity, each of said inserts having a protrusion extending through said at least one protrusion opening beyond said frame wall.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a furniture handle comprising: a) a frame having a frame wall having at least one protrusion opening extending through said frame wall; b) an insert made from a resilient material and having a protrusion extending through said at least one protrusion opening beyond said frame wall, said insert being secured to said frame at least in part by friction fit of said protrusion through said protrusion opening.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a furniture handle comprising: a) a frame made from a rigid material having a frame wall with a front face and a rear face, said frame wall and having at least one protrusion opening extending from said rear face through said frame wall to said front face; b) an insert made from a material comprising one of polymer gel, neoprene, rubber, latex rubber, suitable PVC and polyurethane foams, and styrene or polystyrene, said insert being secured at a rear face of said frame and said insert having a protrusion, extending through said at least one protrusion opening beyond said frame wall, said insert being secured to said frame at least in part by friction fit of said protrusion through said protrusion opening.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a piece of furniture having a furniture part connected to a furniture handle, said furniture handle comprising: a) a frame made from a rigid material having a frame wall with a front face and a rear face, said frame wall and having at least one protrusion opening extending from said rear face through said frame wall to said front face; b) an insert made from a material comprising one of polymer gel, neoprene, rubber, latex rubber, suitable PVC and polyurethane foams, and styrene or polystyrene, said insert being secured at a rear face of said frame and said insert having a protrusion extending through said at least one protrusion opening beyond said frame wall, said insert being secured to said frame at least in part by friction fit of said protrusion through said protrusion opening.